There’s more far more to Latin American food than tacos de asada and arepas.
How many of these have you tried?
1. Ubre Asada
Cow Udder
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Think a cow udder is only worth it to spew out milk for baby calfs? Think again, because in Chile you can throw it on the parrilla and get yourself an ubre asada, full of protein and, uh, lots of cow udder.
2. Escamoles
Ant Larvae
Media lunita de felicidad con escamoles y tortillita bien en Pachuca. #travel #mexicanfoo… https://t.co/U25eWkG9qf pic.twitter.com/YlfkwHT2EC
— Natalia de la Rosa (@natdelarose) September 18, 2016
Escamoles a.k.a. ant larvae are native to Central Mexico and were considered to be a favorite of the Aztecs. The escamoles can be served in tacos or on their own, often sauteed with cilantro, chiles and butter.
3. Cuy
Guinea Pig
Roasted Cuy which essentially is a Guinea pig is a Peruvian delicacy #peru #ollantaytambo #cuy
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Cuy, or guinea pig, is a delicacy in the Andean regions of Peru and Ecuador. They are often served roasted in all their glory and, yeah, they actually really do taste like chicken.
4. Caldo De Cardan
Bull Peen Soup
'Bovine delight… Caldo de cardán, or bull's penis soup'. Can't imagine the bull was delighted much pic.twitter.com/0ytUzybcfv
— Max ❄️ (@MadAlix14) June 21, 2013
If you had 23 too many tequila shots on a Saturday night, Caldo de cardan might be the cure you need. Bolivia’s bull penis soup is known as the national hangover cure and I imagine if you eat this soup made of bull penis, lamb rib, chicken breast, potato, rice, boiled egg and beef jerky, you will be brought back to life immediately.
5. Morcilla
Blood Sausage
Millions of people around the world consider morcilla, or blood sausage, a delicious dish, but sometimes you remember that it is literally blood and animal guts stuffed into an intestine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
6. Chapulines
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are a nuisance to some, but in Mexico and many other countries, they’re a yummy, crunchy, salty snack, giving potato chips a run for their money. Enjoy with a side of mezcal. 😉
7. Buchada De Bode
Goat’s Stomach
CREDIT: TodoNatalense / Facebook
Now this… this is something. Buchada de bode is found in Brazil and is their equivalent of Scotland’s haggis, which has a serious reputation of its own. Buchada comes from bucho, the Portuguese word for animal’s stomach, so yeah, there’s a lot of that. The dish is goat’s stomach filled with lungs, liver, kidneys, and blood and everything else inside the animal’s organs.
8. Jumiles
Stink Bugs
A #bugslife #insectlife #jumiles #comidadelfuturo #taxco #comidadevalientes #provecho
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Mexico has some of most plentiful, tasty, and edible insects in the world, so naturally, they’re included in much of the cuisine. Jumiles are stink bugs, and although the name might be off-putting, they are known to taste much sweeter than you’d think… like a mix of cinnamon and mint.
9. Testiculos De Boi
Bull Testicles
Testículos de boi ao alho e óleo – #valadares #testiculosdeboi #petisco #comidadebuteco #petfriendly
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Culinary-wise, testicles are known by many euphemisms such as smoky mountain oysters, to make the idea of eating them a bit more palatable. But not in Brazil. They simply call them testiculos de boi, meaning bull’s testicles. They’re often served fried with some lime and chili pepper oil and look a lot like chicken nuggets. Noms.
READ: LA’s Best Latino Foods, and They’re Not Mexican
What’s the most adventurous dish you’ve tried? Let us know!
